Dual-monitor setups have been familiar sights on trading floors for years, but now they're starting to appear on desktops in all sorts of businesses. The economics just make sense. Sure, you could spend $1,000 on one of the 20- to 21-inch UXGA monitors we review in our main story. But if you want more screen area, there's a better way to go.

You can buy two 17-inch modelsaveraging $375 apieceand an extra graphics card in some cases, and still have money left over. If your PC is less than 18 months old, it most likely has a dual-head graphics card, which means it supports two displays.

Not only can an investment in dual monitors save money, but you may also get more work done. Research at the University of Utah sponsored by ATI and NEC-Mitsubishi suggests that using multiple monitors results in greater productivity than using a single monitor. The study compared the speed and accuracy of work performed on a single monitor with the same work performed on two or more monitors of equal size.

You can even have two displays on a single stand. Almost all desktop LCDs can be detached from their bases and attached to stands that use VESA-standard mounting brackets. In many cases, all you'll need is a screwdriver. And you'll find plenty of options among the stands that let you attach two or more panels. Some are designed to sit on a desk, some clamp to a flat surface, and some hang on a wall or a cubicle divider.

Microsoft Windows makes it easy to run multiple monitors from one computer. First, your graphics card needs to have multiple graphics outputs. These may be two analog connectors or one analog and one digital. If your computer has only one graphics outputeither on the motherboard or on an AGP cardyou can easily add a second connector with an inexpensive PCI graphics card. Examples include the ATI Radeon 9600, the PNY GeForce FX 5700 LE, and the Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro, all of which will run you $150 or less.

Then you need to configure Windows to use two screens at once. Some dual-head graphics adapters have their own software utilities for this function, which can give you more control over your monitors.

Some utilities, such as ATI's Hydravision, nVidia's nView, and Matrox's PowerDesk, also let you define which applications will open on which monitor. This is handy because you can then set your e-mail application to appear always on your left monitor, or your Web browser to appear always on the right.

If you don't have multidisplay software, Windows lets you configure multiple panels easily. In Windows XP, right-click on an open area of your Desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu. Then choose the Settings tab. If both graphics adapters are installed correctly, you will see two screens depicted in the window, marked 1 and 2. The second one will likely be grayed out. Click on it and check Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.

Next, adjust the resolution for this monitor to match the native resolution of your other monitor. Finally, adjust the color depth setting to match the setting for your primary monitor, and then choose OK. If you then want to switch between one and two monitors, go back to this same screen, right-click on the second monitor, and check or uncheck Attached. This is especially helpful if you use a laptop as one of your screens and need to take it to a meeting.

You will now have a Windows Desktop that extends across both monitors. You can configure an application's window to spread across both screens, or you can place different apps in each screen. Proprietary multimonitor utilities that come bundled with some graphics cards are more powerful, but the Windows feature should be more than sufficient to help you start reaping the benefits of side-by-side monitors. For more details on configuring dual displays, check out ExtremeTech's guide to setting up multiple displays at http://go.pcmag.com/etmultimonitors .

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service